


Towards the Sun

by lixified



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairies, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Based off of that one picture of Felix and Minho at that river, Felix and Minho just wanna go home, I love them I swear, M/M, Multi, Sorry Not Sorry, Surprise it's a magical elemination fic, They just have to suffer first, ft. worried boyfriends Changbin and Jisung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-03-29 12:18:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19019779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lixified/pseuds/lixified
Summary: “We’re gonna make it, Felix.”  Minho said, and his voice sounded determined.  Felix wanted to trust him, to follow him blindly through this pain, but there was too much at stake.“And if we don’t?”Minho swallowed, and offered a hand.  It was shaking.“Then it’s over.”Felix heard the underlying message; now or never.  They’ve got one chance to get back to their family.  If they fail, they’re trapped in the fae world forever, immortal and alone.  Felix looked into Minho’s eyes, at the quiet fear residing in the silver orbs, and accepted his hand.Now or never.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Contact me here - 
> 
> Twitter @lixified  
> Tumblr @fortheloveofwoozi  
> Wattpad @fortheloveofwoozi

As the most well-known hunting group in Korea, Stray Kids are always receiving requests from all over the country, people offering money in exchange for help. When they get an offer that seems too good to be true, they head out to the untamed wilderness to figure out what kind of creatures have been tormenting a small village. Everything goes south when secrets are uncovered, and two of their members get dragged into a Fae portal.

Chan really wished they didn’t take up the offer.


	2. One - Let the shadows fall behind you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Minho feel things.

When they reached the village, Felix got a bad taste in his mouth and an unsettled churning in his stomach.  It seemed peaceful enough, with kids playing in the streets and adults calming talking to one another under the shade of the trees.  If anything, Felix would say this place was tranquil, a perfect to get away from the rough duties his job requires, and yet he could not rid his gut of the feeling- the feeling that something isn’t quite right.  

 

If his job has taught him anything, it is to always trust your instincts, so he voiced his opinion as soon as they were out of earshot of the villagers.

“Something isn’t right.  This place feels… off.” he muttered to Chan.  Their leader gave him an odd look, as if to call Felix crazy.  “I feel nothing.” Chan responded.

 

“Wait, seriously?” 

 

“Everything is normal, Felix.  At least I think it is.” Hyunjin chimed in from behind them.  A chorus of agreements rises from the group, and Changbin, the ever-loving sweetheart that he is, squeezed his hand and told him there’s nothing to worry about.  “You’re probably just paranoid,” the older reasoned, “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

 

So Felix pushed the feelings down, burying them somewhere deep, and continued on as if nothing happened.  

 

He managed to fight it off until Minho cornered him that evening, before they’ve settled in to bed.  It took ages to reach the village in the first place; three whole days! Felix could feel the exhaustion weighing on his eyelids.  He begins to walk back to the room he was sharing with Changbin and Chan but was interrupted when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.  

 

Felix tensed, ready to fight, but his eyes met Minho’s and Felix forced himself to relax.  The hallway wasn't that well-light, but he could just make out Minho’s nervous grimace. 

 

“Hyung?  Is something wrong?” he asked.

 

Minho shushed him and reached down to clasp Felix’s hand.  The younger gave it to him willingly, confused, and allowed Minho lead him down the hallway and past the rooms they were staying in.  His confusion only grew when Minho tugged him into an alcove, and glanced around, checking to make sure they were alone.

 

“I felt it too.” 

 

“What?” 

 

Minho groaned, abiet softly.

 

“The bad feeling, Felix!  I feel it too! I didn’t say anything because I thought Chan was right, and we were just being paranoid.  But I don’t think that’s the case anymore.” he explained.

 

Felix listened, and he felt relieved someone else knew that something was off too.   _ I’m not going crazy, thank fuck.   _ But the bad feeling had crept back in from earlier, tucked neatly in Felix’s gut.

 

“What do you think it is?” Felix said.

 

Minho shrugged, but it seemed a bit too tense to appear casual.  He was stressed about this. The pit in his stomach twisted suddenly and Felix gasped, a hand coming to clutch his torso.  Minho flinched at the same time he did. “What the hell?” the older said.  Felix whined at the discomfort it caused.  It felt like someone had grabbed his stomach and wrung it out with a towel, twisting and squeezing it dry.

 

Minho leaned against the wall of the alcove, panting softly.  Slowly, the feeling started to recede; Felix could breathe again.  He opted to keep a hand on his stomach though, looking at Minho with wide eyes.  "It's happening to you too?"

 

The older nodded. “That was so weird!” Minho groaned, moving to stand back up all the way.  Felix nodded in agreement. That  _ was  _ weird , whatever it was.

 

“I really, really think something’s wrong, hyung.  Something supernatural.” Felix said, purposly leaning to catch Minho’s eyes once again.  Minho nodded, and looked almost apologetic with his next words.

 

“Does it… feel like vampires, Lixie?”

 

Felix’s breath caught in his throat.  He took a moment to compose himself.

 

“No, hyung.  It does not.” 

 

Minho seemed relieved.  “That’s good.”

 

The younger boy sighed, nodding his head.  That  _ was _ good.  After what happened last time, Felix wanted absolutely nothing to do with vampires.  In fact, the boys never brought up vampires anymore, for his sake, so Minho must be really freaked out by the bad feeling if he mentioned them.

 

“What do we do now?  Why is it only us that feel it?” Felix asked.  Minho contemplated for a moment.

 

“Well, first I think we need to figure out why it is happening to only us two.  Have we eaten anything weird today?” 

 

Felix shook his head.  Minho huffed.

 

“Okay, and what about drank?  Any odd substances?” 

 

Again, Felix shook his head.

 

“Maybe it’s exhaustion?” he offered up.  Minho shrugged again, this time less tense but still stiff.  “Here, how about this,” Minho said, “we sleep on it. If it happens again and gets really bad, like so bad you can’t handle it, I want you to come directly to me, alright?  I don’t care what time it is.”

 

Felix nodded, “Same goes for me, hyung.  Wake me up too.”

 

Minho smiled. “Good.  If we still feel this way in the morning, we bring it up to Chan, okay?”  

 

_ Chan would know what to do _ .

 

“Sounds like a plan, Minnie-hyung.” 

 

The two began to walk back to their rooms, ignoring the weird looks from the inn staff, and parted ways.  Once inside the room, Felix could recognize Chan’s sleeping form on the bed closest to the door. On the far side, Changbin was reading a book by the moonlight.  He looked up when Felix walked in.

 

“Lix.” he said quietly, patting the empty space on the bed next to him. Felix padded over, careful to keep his steps light, and snuggled into Changbin’s side.  The warmth from his body was enough to make Felix relax, muscles aching with the days-long travel.

 

“You had me worried for a second there.  Everything okay?” Changbin asked, setting his book down.  Felix nodded his head, too tired to explain.

 

“Mm, okay.  I love you,” Changbin hummed, “sleep tight, angel.”

 

Felix was already asleep.

  
  



	3. Two - Said you'd always be my white blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Minho feel even more things, with the addition of seeing things too

“Alright, so the forest?  We’ve already searched the town…” Jisung was saying, and Felix tried to pay attention, but he found himself zoning out more than usual.

 

They’d checked the town earlier that morning, talking to the residents about the weird things that had been happening.  Apparently it started three or four months ago; a house had been set on fire. It wasn’t anything crazy, and it did not spread, but the villagers said the flames were green.  Next, a child had gone missing, only to turn up exactly where the mother left them last, three days later. The child had zero recollection of the previous seventy-two hours.

 

And most recently, the several people had woken up with the same bite-sized marks on their bodies.  The bites did not hurt but itched instead, and it seemed to be the last straw for the villagers, who called Stray Kids for help.

 

“-lix?  Felix?” Chan said, and Felix jerked, startled.  He blinked at the older boy. 

 

“You with us?” Woojin asked.

 

Felix nodded, embarrassed for having been caught daydreaming.  “Sorry, hyung.”

 

“You okay?” said Hyunjin.

 

“I’m fine,”

 

Chan was worried, Felix could tell.  The leader gave him a doubtful look. “I am, promise!” Felix reassured the older boy.  

 

He also purposely ignored the knowing stare Minho was giving him.

 

Changbin wrapped an arm around Felix’s waist for comfort.  The contact tingled, in a good way, and Felix kissed the side of Changbin’s neck in thanks.

 

“We’re talking later.” Changbin whispered in his ear.  Felix frowned, mouth opening to retaliate, but one glance at his boyfriend shut him up.  He looked… angry? At the abrupt pause, Changbin’s eyes softened and he squeezed Felix’s side apologetically.   _Okay, so not angry, just worried._

 

“Okay, so we explore the forest next?  Are we all in agreement?” 

 

Everyone nodded, and the nine of them set off to explore.  Each was equipped with the tools needed.

 

Chan, Jisung and Changbin were mostly equipped for dealing with vampires.  All three carried iron stakes, as well as matches for backup. Hunting knives hung in sheaths from each of their belts.

 

Woojin, Hyunjin and Minho worked best taking on werewolves.  Silver-tipped arrows, which had been dipped in wolfsbane, hung in their quivers, bows strapped to their backs.  Silver swords adorned their belt loops.

 

Then came the youngest; Felix, Seungmin and Jeongin.  They were trained for fighting with sirens. Satchels wrapped around their backs, which contained earplugs (made of cloth) and small jars.  Each carried a bronze dagger. The jars were to be filled with the victim's blood. In order to kill a siren, the bronze dagger must be dipped in the victim’s blood when you stabbed the siren to kill it.

 

“Alright, I’m taking Minho and Jeongin.  Jisung, you take Felix and Woojin, and Changbin can have Seungmin and Hyunjin.” Chan finished, looking at his fellow werewolf hunters for confirmation.  They both nodded. It was best to travel in packs of three, in which each group had a werewolf hunter, a vampire hunter and a siren hunter. 

 

Less of a chance of getting jumped without protection, as each person was ready for different things.

 

“Meet back here when the sun is just setting.  Remember, if you find something, blow on your tracker so we can find you.” 

 

The trackers were a communication method.  All nine of them had a different one, which made different sounds.

 

“Let’s go!” Jisung cheered, taking both Felix and Woojin by the wrists and dragging them along.  The other six had divided and separated themselves into their groups. The sun was high in the sky, at its peak.

 

Felix averages around six hours of search time.

 

Jisung let go of them a few seconds later, once he deemed them ready.  They spread out, a space of around twenty feet between them, and began to comb the area.

 

“No stone left unturned!” Jisung shouted cheerfully.  Felix sighed. The twisting in his stomach was back, though not nearly as strong as last night.  

 

Distantly, he wondered if Minho was feeling the same way he was.

 

So they searched, looking for anything unusual.  It took about three hours before Felix was holding a hand over his tummy uncomfortably.  It was getting worse, the further into the forest they got. 

 

It was another hour when the feeling changed.

 

Felix gasped as his gut lurched, and it began to grow, the odd twisting sensation creeping up to his chest.  It spread down his legs and over his arms, all the way until he could practically feel his eyes vibrating in his skull.

 

_ What the fuck? _

 

“Jisung!” Felix yelled, legs shaking so badly he toppled over.  It was like someone was shaking him, although he was alone.  Fear spiked in his mind and he choked out a cry.  Faintly, he could hear people yelling his name.  All he could do was whine pitifully in response. Approaching footsteps echoed loudly in his ears.

 

“Felix!” Woojin shouted as he collapsed at the younger’s side.  He was quickly turned over and Jisung was there, checking his pulse.  Felix was sure it was loud enough to hear.

 

“What’s wrong?” 

 

“I don’t k-know!” Felix said, gasping at the foreign feeling.  It was borderline painful now, and Felix knew just one wrong movement could tip it over into agony.  He wasn’t sure how he would deal with a pain like yesterday's _all_ _ over his body. _

 

“What hurts?” Woojin asked, brushing the hair from his eyes.

 

Felix couldn’t respond.  His heart was pounding so loud he barely caught the question anyway, and his throat was fuzzy, like someone had stuffed cotton in his mouth.  He began to shake, limbs jerking at random intervals, and a loud noise echoed from above him.  One loud, frantic shrill sound.

 

Jisung had blown his shell.  Which meant Felix must  _ really _ not look good.

 

“Help is coming, Felix.  Just hang in there.” Woojin muttered, trying desperately to hold down his flailing arms.  Distantly, another shell answered, but instead of relief, all Felix felt was fear.

 

_ Shit _ .

 

Everything went black.

  
  


 

When he opened his eyes, it was because of the movement, at first.  The forest was flying by, and Felix knew he must be on Jisung’s back.  Woojin was running beside them, a hand on Felix’s spine to keep him steady.

 

The feeling hadn’t gone away.  If anything, it had gotten worse, his stomach feeling like it was full of spiky rocks that jostled every time Jisung moved.

 

“We’ve got to get him to someone,” Jisung was saying, seemingly unwinded by Felix’s weight resting on him while they were jogging.

 

“The other tracker came from Chan’s group, right? Do you think he’ll know what’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know.” Jisung answered honestly.

 

Felix closed his eyes again, too tired to fight off the spots dancing across his vision.

  
  


 

 

“Felix!” someone screamed, and the boy flew upright, panting.  He blinked his eyes open to find Minho staring at him.

 

“Thank god!” Minho mumbled, moving back to sit on his heels.  Felix looked at him, puzzled. He glanced around; they were alone, in a clear spot of the forest. The clearing was filled with flowers.  It was peaceful, and serene. 

 

It was beautiful, to say the least.

 

“W-where are we?” he asked Minho, who shrugged.  The older’s eyes were also looking around curiously.  

 

_ Oh _ .

 

“Did you feel that too?” Felix said.  Minho nodded, “The horrible twisting that spread to everywhere?” 

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

“Do you think that’s why we’re here?  Where is everyone else?” Minho wondered, standing up.  He offered a hand to Felix, who took it gratefully.   As soon as they stood, a soft glow from a nearby tree caught their attention.  Felix hadn’t noticed it the first time around, but looking at it now, the tree seemed a lot bigger.  The branches twisted high in the sky, and the trunk was easily the size of three people.  _ It doesn’t look real,  _ Felix noted.

 

The middle of the tree was glowing softly, a white light that shone throughout the leaves.

 

“Wow.” Minho mumbled.  At the same time, they both took a step forward.  The flowers parted for them, swaying out of the way to create a path. Felix turned to Minho, surprised, and found the older mirroring him, a twin look of shock adorning his face.  In unison, they both turned back to the tree.

 

And then everything winked out of existence.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!
> 
> You can ask questions, talk about stuff or just hang out with me here! Sometimes I also give spoliers :)
> 
> Twitter - @lixified  
> Tumblr - @fortheloveofwoozi


	4. Three - I never knew daylight could be so violent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Minho finally figure out their feelings and more bad stuff happens.

Felix felt a strong sense of dejà vu when he woke up gasping.  He winced at the sunlight that flashed in his eyes, but forced them open again when Changbin came into view.  Beside him, he could hear Jisung talking to Minho.

 

“Hey,” his boyfriend muttered, “how are you feeling?”

 

Felix wasn’t sure how to answer that.  One minute, he’s passed out, lying on Jisung’s back, and the next, he’s in a flower field with Minho.  Now, he’s on the forest floor with Changbin asking if he was okay.

 

What the  _ fuck _ .  Why the fuck.  Why.

 

“What happened?” he asked, and his voice was raspier than usual.  Changbin cocked his head at him. “Both you and Minho-hyung passed out a couple of minutes ago.  Jisung decided you might be in too much danger to wait for Chan, so he carried you until he ran into Chan's team.  Minho was in a similar state as you. We aren’t completely sure what's causing it, only that you and Minho are experiencing the same symptoms at the same time."

 

That explained why Felix was on Jisung's back.

 

“B-but why were Felix and I in a flower field...?” Minho said from beside him.  

 

Suddenly, Changbin looked a lot more concerned.  Jisung, Woojin, Chan and Seungmin stayed silent, while Hyunjin and Jeongin made little confused noises.

 

“What are you talking about?” asked Chan.

 

“Felix and I woke up in a flower field,” Minho said, brow furrowed, “are you saying you guys didn’t put us there?”

 

“No?  We haven’t moved you since we found each other,” Jeongin explained “neither of you have moved in almost five minutes.”

 

At this point, Felix was beyond confused, and he could tell Minho was too.  That couldn’t be true- if both Minho and himself stayed put, how did they end up in that flower field?  With the magic tree?  And if they truly didn’t move, and it was all a dream, why did both of them remember it? 

 

Something tugged at the back of his mind, like an old piece of knowledge he’d forgotten about.  

 

A lesson.  One from years ago, just when he was entering school to become a hunter.  About creatures of magic.

 

The Fae.

 

The Fae, Felix’s instructors had once said, were fickle beings.  They lived in a hidden world; no one but the Fae were permitted to enter. Around twenty years ago, the Fae disappeared from the mortal world completely.  It was never clear why, either. One day they just picked up and retreated to their world, leaving behind only memories. However, legend said that some Fae portals still existed, hidden away from mankind and the destruction it would ultimately bring.  Around said portals, odd things could happen.   _ Odd things like green fire and bite marks _ , Felix mused,  _ we are a bunch of idiots _ .

 

He grabbed Minho’s shoulder, not even waiting for him to turn around completely before starting, “It’s the Fae, isn’t it hyung?  We can feel them.” 

 

It was like someone froze the group as soon as the words left his lips.  Minho blinked, a small grimace forming as his words processed.

 

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

 

Chan sputtered, probably ready to jump and cut that idea down, but Seungmin placed a hand on his shoulder.  “I mean, it’s plausible,” Woojin muttered, lost in thought.

 

Jeongin nodded, allowing Felix to sit up from his lap.  The freckled boy shuddered when the sensation spiked again.  Changbin was on him in an instant, forcing him back down and kissing his forehead softly.

 

“You need to rest, Lix.” Changbin said.  

 

Hyunjin frowned.  “Can you tell us how you guys are feeling?  We can deal with the Fae later, but you both gave us quite the scare.”

 

Felix turned to look at Minho, who was already watching him.  The conversation they had was silent, one only shared through looks, and Minho looked away first.

 

“It started yesterday-“

 

“And you didn’t say anything?!” Jisung snapped, but Felix could tell his annoyance only came from concern.

 

“Let me finish!” Minho said, and Jisung backed down.  The older sighed.  “Like I was saying, it started yesterday.  I also got the bad feeling Felix expressed, but I figured it was just me being paranoid, like Chan said.  Then Felix and I were talking last night when it got physically uncomfortable. Like someone was twisting my stomach around.” Minho explained, looking to Felix for agreement.  Felix nodded in encouragement.

 

“We thought that maybe it was stress or something and decided to sleep on it.  When I woke up, it was gone, and I pegged it as exhaustion. Now, though… it started to get bad when we entered the forest, and the farther I went, the worse it got.  Eventually it spread to everywhere and that’s when I called for help.”

 

By the end, the seven were staring at Minho in surprise and contemplation.

 

“Both of you experienced this at the same time?” Woojin asked.  “Yes,” Felix said and Minho grabbed his hand to squeeze it. He reciprocated, glad someone else was here to validate how he felt.

 

Jeongin looked nervous as he ran his hand through Felix’s hair, “What does it feel like now?” 

 

Felix paused for a moment, considering.  It had settled down quite a bit from earlier.  “Bearable,” is what he decided on.

 

“Why are you two the only ones who are affected?” Chan wondered out loud.  Woojin and Seungmin were taking it rather well, simply looking at the boys with blank expressions.  Jisung and Hyunjin both looked worried, which was understandable. Jeongin looked confused. Changbin… his face was relaxed, but he kept a hand on Felix’s wrist, right over his pulse.  Felix smiled softly.   _Always the worrier,_ he reflected.

 

“Well, the Fae work in weird ways,” Minho reasoned, an eyebrow cocked in challenge.  Chan huffed. “Have we just decided that it’s the Fae now?  Who knows, maybe they just ate something weird yesterday?”

 

Felix and Minho both shook their heads in unison.  “We already discussed that. We ate the same as you, just bread, fruit and pork.” confirmed Felix.  

 

“Well, there might be other explanations, but right now we need to either finish combing the forest or call it a day.  The sun will be setting within two hours, Channie.” Woojin watched the sky, as the sun was beginning to creep down in the wide expanse of blue.

 

Chan sat back on his heels, contemplating.  Felix could guess what he was thinking. They had planned for this to be a short mission, done within two days, but in order for that to happen Stray Kids would have to be done searching by that day.  If they went back now, they would have to extend their schedule, and that would cost more money and take more time.  Their boss expected the group to have eliminated the issue within three or four days.

 

Which meant they needed to get the search done today.

 

“How up are you for continuing the search?  If it is the Fae, that means there is a portal close by.  This could be really big for us,” Chan trailed off, and his eyes lit up, “and you could lead us to it!”

 

From the looks of everyone in the circle, nobody was really sure what he meant by that.  

 

“Hyung?” Seungmin questioned.

 

“Think about it!  If what Minho and Felix say is true, then they could lead us to the portal.  The further you got in the forest, the more intense the feeling got, right?”

 

Felix nodded, while Minho answered verbally with a small ‘yes’.

 

“Then that means you were getting closer to the portal!”

 

Hyunjin’s eyes widened comically.  “Hyung’s right! You guys would be our living compasses!”

 

Woojin shook his head, frowning.  "But Chan's and Jisung's groups were heading in opposite directions, weren't they?  Which means only one of them actually got close to the portal; the other was only affected becuase of someone else's close proximity."  

 

Chan nodded along, brow furrowed in thought.  "We'll figure it out by testing them!" he exclaimed.  Felix wasn't sure he loved the thought of that.  Jeongin was still tense.  Felix watched as his mouth tightened when the conversation continued.  “Wouldn’t hyungs get hurt though?” he said, petting Felix’s head carefully, which still resided in Jeongin’s lap after Changbin pushed him down.  That shut everyone up pretty quickly.  Felix began to sit up again, determined.  The twisting sensation crawled over his skin, but it was not terrible; he could handle it.  To his left, Minho pushed Jisung away gently and gripped the freckled boy’s arm.

 

“The tree!” Minho yelped.  

 

Felix’s lips twitched down only slightly, giving away his confusion.

 

“The tree, Felix!  That must be the portal!”

 

_ Oh _ .  Felix’s eyes widened at the thought.  It would explain the vision!   

 

“When Felix and I woke up the first time, we were in a flower field.  There was a giant glowing tree. That’s the portal! It must be! You okay for searching for it, Lixie?” Minho asked him while explaining to the others why he mentioned it in the first place.

 

Felix smiled at him, eagar.

 

Chan grinned, “It’s decided then.  We find this portal and report it to the Council.  They’ll take it from there.”

  
  
  


Of course, getting there was going to be a bit of a challenge.  Felix was too shaky to stand on his own, so Changbin and Hyunjin offered to help him walk, which he gratefully accepted.  Minho was helped by Seungmin and Jisung. Woojin brought up the back with Jeongin, and Chan led them from the front, forming a protective barrier from anyone attacking the weakened hunters.  

 

Finding the direction to travel in had also been difficult.  Felix and Minho figured it out through trial and error; they would walk one direction (with assistance, of course) and see if anything changed.  If it did not, then they would try a different direction. Eventually, they narrowed it down to traveling West, when both agreed their stomachs grew tighter. Jisung's team had traveled East, which meant Minho was the one who was closest.

 

“Okay, now tell us if it gets too much.” Woojin assured them, offering up that it would not impair the team if they couldn’t continue; Felix was very grateful for that.  He was not completely sure how this would go, whether they would be successful or not.

 

“I- okay keep going this direction.” Minho growled after a couple hundred feet of walking.  Felix gritted his teeth; now the tingling was more of a prickling, and it crawled up his stomach and into his chest, spreading through his body in waves.

 

“You sure?” Jisung asked, and there was clear worry in both his face and his voice.

 

Minho hummed, pushing forward.

  
  


Another (Six? Seven?) hundred feet.  This time, the change was worse- his whole body began to shake like it did earlier.  Changbin and Hyunjin were the only reason he was still on his feet.

 

“Maybe we should stop-” 

 

“No!” Felix interrupted Hyunjin.  Minho was obviously uncomfortable as well, and sweat covered both of the boys foreheads. 

 

“Are you sure?” Chan said.

 

“Keep going!” Minho gasped, “We’re close!”

  
  


 

They made it another five-hundred feet before Felix crumpled.  Turns out, that was all they needed. 

 

Minho and Felix were on the outskirts of the same field of flowers from their shared vision; only this time, they had seven hunters in tow.  It looked the same, with the glowing tree and everything. 

 

“Holy shit.” someone said, and although Felix could not identify who it was, he wholeheartedly agreed.  Changbin wrapped an arm around his waist.  He shifted him until he was half-sitting, half-laying on Changbin’s body.

 

“That’s definitely a Fae portal.” Chan admitted.  

 

_ No shit. _

 

Felix shot him a look, trying to put all his feelings into it so he doesn’t have to worry about talking. When Changbin snorted rather aggressively Felix assumed he must have accomplished his goal.  Sweat dripped down his forehead and Felix whined.  It was uncomfortable and borderline painful, and everything in his brain was telling him to get away.  The closer he was to this thing, this portal, the more his body shook with uncontrollable tremors.

 

“Fuck!” Minho yelled when his legs gave out; Jisung and Seungmin only just managed to catch him in time.  One of Minho’s arms escaped their grip, though, and it flopped lifelessly into the flower bed.

 

Usually, it’s no big deal.  They step on undergrowth all the time.  The plants never move to retaliate, though.

 

When Minho’s arm landed, the flowers began to part, just like they did in the vision -or dream- and Felix could only watch.  The purple plants created a pathway that started where Minho touched them. 

 

It lead straight to the tree, right up to the portal within the trunk.

 

“What the hell?” Jeongin said, just as Woojin choked on air in surprise.

 

Felix focused on Minho, who raised his head just high enough to see the flowers part for him.  Like Felix, Minho didn’t look shocked.

 

“This h-happened in the… _ ah _ , dream too.” Felix gasped, voice weak and raspy.  Changbin and Hyunjin both looked down at him. Hyunjin was paler than normal.

 

Chan took a step forward and nudged the flowers with the edge of his foot.  Instantly, that flower shifted from a bright purple to a dark red, and snapped shut.  Chan retreated, but it was too late; it began to spread. A wave of red cascaded over the flower field, flowers sealing themselves shut, away from the intruder.

 

“Chan, be careful!” Woojin stressed, tugging the leader back even further.

 

“What happened?” Changbin said, his grip on Felix’s wrist tightening.  He could hear the fear in his boyfriend’s voice.

 

“The flowers don’t like hyung.” Seungmin mumbled, watching the flowers with something akin to amazement.  

 

The portal began to glow brighter.  Wind swept through the grove, the branches whipping around wildly, and the group collectively flinched.  “What the hell!” Hyunjin yelled, having to speak louder to be heard. The flowers, now having darkened to an inky black, shifted to point towards the portal.  Almost as if the portal was sucking them in.

 

“I don’t know!” Chan responded, looking around in confusion.  Felix couldn’t get a warning out before he was tugged towards the portal too.  Changbin lost hold on his wrist and Felix slid further along, desperately clawing at the grass to keep himself from being tugged back.

 

“No!” Jisung screamed, and out of the corner of his eye he watched Minho being ripped from Jisung; the third-eldest went flying backwards, past Felix and most likely heading directly to the tree.

 

Luckily, Changbin grabbed him again; Felix clung to his wrist with everything he had.  The tremors made it very difficult and Felix almost lost his grip.  His body left the ground, hovering in midair, and the freckled boy blinked back the tears that threatened to slide down his cheeks from the wind.

 

“Felix!” Hyunjin screeched, throwing a hand out for Felix to grab onto, but the freckled boy knew it was fruitless.  With the last of his strength, Felix looked directly into Changbin’s eyes.

 

“I love you!” he said, unsure if he could even be heard, but by the way Changbin’s eyes widened Felix knew he must have understood it.

 

Then Felix’s fingers slipped from Changbin's grasp and he was thrown backwards into the light.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you've enjoyed the third chapter, and I'll see you soon with the next one!
> 
> You can ask questions, talk about stuff or just hang out with me here! Sometimes I also give spoliers :)
> 
> Twitter - @lixified  
> Tumblr - @fortheloveofwoozi


	5. Four - And the future runs through our bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Felix and Minho weren't really who they thought they were...

Felix blinked at the brightness he was met with as soon as he opened his eyes.  Wincing, he shifted an arm to cover his eyes; it was too early for this shit.

 

_ Wait _ .

 

Felix gasped, heaving himself up on his side to look around.  The memories were coming back now; the weird feelings, Minho and his synced collapses, being sucked into a Fae portal.  Each brought forth confusion and fear, as the landscape was incredibly unfamiliar.  

 

_ Was he dead?  _

 

“W-what?” he muttered, lost.  Was this heaven? Only Fae could cross through the portals and make it safely to the other side, so Felix would have been thrown against the tree instead of through the doorway; the force of his collision would have caused his death.   He shivered, quickly growing distracted by the temperature.  The breeze, although bleak, was chilly.  His bare arms were expo-  _ now wait just a bloody minute. _

 

Felix looked down and felt his heart physically jump.  He was shirtless, with only basic brown cotton pants to cover his legs. 

 

“Felix?” Minho asked, and the freckled boy jerked up, surprised.  One look at the elder and Felix could tell he was the same situation, which seemed to be happening a lot as of recently.  But Minho’s now-shirtless chest wasn’t the only thing that caught his eye.  In fact, it was far from it.  

 

Minho had  _ horns _ .

 

Felix gasped, unable to tear his eyes away.  Spiraling horns, covered in moss, plants and feathers, adorned Minho’s head, completely covering his hair.  It looked like a giant headdress of plants and greenery. In the center of his forehead was a large jewel, with smaller jewels settled into the moss surrounding his face. And his eyes- holy shit.  Minho’s eyes were a striking silver, reflecting the light that surrounded them. Silver shimmered on his cheekbones, bringing out their defined shape. 

 

“What the hell?” he said.  Things only got weirder when something moved from behind Minho- something that caught the light so strongly Felix was momentarily blinded.

 

Wings.  Minho had wings.  Rainbow, shiny butterfly wings.   _ Wings _ .

 

“You- uh,” Felix tried to say something, _ (a warning?  A question?) _ but the words died on his tongue.  He could only stare blankly at his fellow hunter.   _ What the fuck was happening?   _

 

Minho sucked a breath through his teeth, and Felix drew his attention away from the fluttering appendages and back to his face, which was scrunched up in confusion.  

 

“Felix…” the boy trailed off, uncertain, “what the ever-loving fuck happened to you?” 

 

“What happened to me?!” Felix hissed, “What happened to  _ you _ ?”

 

“You’re the one who has antlers and wings!” Minho squawked, offended.

 

_ Antlers? _

 

“You have horns and wings!” He shot back, not really comprehending what the other said until moments later.  Felix squeaked and both hands shot up to feel his head- sure enough, his fingers grazed bone. Mossy antlers, draped with what appeared to be thin vines, grew from the top of his skull.  His heart gave another jump, this time one significantly more violent, and then it stopped when he felt something move.

 

Something that also wasn’t there three minutes ago.

 

Felix whipped his head around and managed to get a glimpse of the twitching things attached to his back.  Like Minho, Felix also had rainbow wings; his, however, were different. Instead of butterfly wings, Felix’s wings were those of a dragonfly.  Felix’s were vibrant, bold and loud, something that Felix thought did not suit him at all.  They were also built for speed, indicated by their shape and weight; Felix had oftened watched the dragonflys dart around the orphanage's pond to pass time.  He knew just how fast they could fly.

 

_ Minho should have ones that look like mine _ , Felix thought, before thinking back to his previous realization, of wait  _ why the hell do we have wings. _

 

“I’m so confused.” Minho said helplessly.  Felix agreed wholeheartedly.

 

“Are we dreaming again?” he asked.  Minho shrugged, already trying to stand up. His wings fluttered gently, refracting light and creating a cool effect on the surrounding grass.  Felix took the time to glance around them. They were still in the forest, but somehow the trees seemed bigger, more green. A small pond was to his left.  He tried to haul himself to his feet, intending to go over to the water to see his appearance himself.   Instead, the wings almost knocked him right back down.  His sense of balance was completely off with the extra limbs, and the added weight on the top of his head.  Felix struggled to keep his neck up without tilting either direction. If he even let his head dip for one second, the antlers would pull him to the ground.

 

He heard Minho laughing, and shot a glare his direction.  This was no laughing matter! They had  _ wings _ !  And  _ horns _ !  

 

“This is exceedingly ridiculous,” Felix muttered, mostly to himself, “Why is this happening?”

 

“I dunno, ‘lix.”

 

Felix groaned and silently kissed his dignity goodbye.  He crawled, on all fours, over to the pond. Minho snorted, but Felix chose not to comment on it when he heard the other boy approach from behind him, most likely in the same position.

 

Very slowly, Felix peered down into the water.  He froze.

 

That couldn’t be him.  No way.

 

The antlers were magnificent, twisting high above his head; thin vines, covered in small, lilac flowers, draped themselves from both antlers.  Feathers, plants and moss covered his head, much like Minho’s, the only difference being he had antlers instead of horns. Well, not the only difference.  Instead of the jewels, Felix had a crown; a crown of white, silver and gold shells and crystals. The shimmering of golden sparkles caught his eye. Resting in the center of his forehead was a large white moon, surrounded by gold glitter.  It was memorizing, especially considering his eyes had shifted from a soft brown to a bold gold.  

 

“Woah…” he said.  Minho, who had also been looking at his appearance, turned to the younger.  They just kind of stared at each other for a bit, taking in their new appearances.  

 

“I don’t understand,” Felix muttered, eyes wide.  Minho gasped suddenly, and a hand went to cover his mouth.  Felix raised an eyebrow.

 

“Did we go  _ through _ the portal?” Minho asked.

 

_ What? _

 

Felix’s heart stuttered in his chest and he scanned the clearing for the portal.  The tree was there, just to the right of where Felix had woken up, but it was no longer glowing; in fact, it looked more dead than anything.  

 

_ No… only Fae could pass through the portal _ .

 

But it made sense, didn’t it?  The wings, the antlers, the fact they weren’t dead?

 

“Oh my god,” that realization hit Felix like a truck, “are we?...” 

 

Minho’s eyes were wide, “ _ No _ .”

 

“Are we  _ Fae _ ?”

 

“We can’t be!” Minho exclaimed, breath coming in short heaves.  “That makes no sense!”

 

That’s the thing- it made perfect sense.  He and Minho were the only orphans of the group, with Felix growing up in an orphanage and Minho being adopted.  They were the only two to sense the portal and the only two to be affected by it.  And now, they had wings.  

 

“But it does make sense!  Think about it!” explained Felix, “Neither of us knew our birth parents, and we were the only ones who sensed the portal.  We get sucked through a magic portal and now, somehow, we both have wings! Everything adds up!”

 

He could see the way Minho’s body deflated as he came to accept the idea.  The older boy moved as if to run a hand through his hair, but flinched back at the feeling of the plants and feathers.  “I hate that you’re right.” said Minho.

 

“You know what?” Felix drawled, pinching the bridge of his nose, “so do I.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh we finally get to see the boys' Fae forms!!!! My twitter @lixified contains a thread of what they actually look like, so you can get a clearer image. Feel free to chat with me too!
> 
> Unfortunetely, the next update will take a while to be uploaded, as I have many personal events to attend within the next few weeks :) but I love you guys!!!


	6. Five - Is it a dream that comes crashing down on me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and surprise- more feelings.

Jisung was screaming.

 

That was the first thing that came to Changbin’s mind when he regained his senses.  

 

“Minho!   _ Minho _ !” 

 

It was just his name, over and over again, bouncing around his skull.  The echo was piercing, the cries ugly, the desperation absolutely heartbreaking.

 

While Jisung screamed his grief to the sky, Changbin sat in it, quietly coming to terms with the loss of his boyfriend.  His mind was trapped in a never-ending loop of Felix; the younger’s eyes shining with tears as he said  _ ‘I love you’;  _ his fingers slipping from Changbin’s grip; the overwhelming feeling of helplessness as Changbin watched him fly through the air, disappearing into the light.

 

His cheeks were wet with tears.  Voices filtered in and out, Jisung’s screaming having formed into violent sobbing.

Changbin refused to look up.  If he did, he knew what he’d see; Felix’s broken and bloody body, lying lifelessly at the bottom of the tree.  Realistically, neither Minho nor Felix would have survived the collision.  

 

“What the hell?” Chan said from somewhere to his left.  

 

Changbin’s eyes moved without his permission. What he saw made him gasp. The tree was dead, along with the flowers, and there was no sign of Felix or Minho.

 

No bodies.  No blood.  _ Nothing _ .

 

“They’re gone!” Hyunjin called, walking closer to the tree.  Chan was quick to jog over. They circled the tree, checking between large roots, but discovered nothing. 

 

Changbin accidentally choked on his own saliva.

 

_ Gone?  _

 

“What?!” Woojin gasped, loosening his hold on Jeongin, who was standing completely still in shock.  Seungmin clutched Jisung tighter in an attempt to calm the sobbing boy. Disbelief colored everyone’s faces white- the blood in Changbin’s cheeks drained, moving to gather in his rapidly-beating heart. “Minho!” Jisung sobbed again, fists pounding uselessly against the leather of Seungmin’s hunting gear.  Changbin pushed himself to his feet, clenching his jaw to prevent another onslaught of tears.   Upon seeing him, Hyunjin darted over to him, letting Changbin use his forearms for stability.  

 

“A-are they really… gone?” he stuttered out, looking into Hyunjin’s eyes, which were shiny with tears.  The younger nodded, but said nothing.

 

“What does that mean?” 

 

Again, nothing.  Changbin’s thoughts were a whirlwind, spinning so fast he couldn’t keep up-

 

_ What does this mean?  Where’d they go? Only Fae could enter.  Were their bodies destroyed when they came in contact with the portal?  Were they transported someplace else? Would someone randomly find Felix’s skeleton in a different town?  Or no- maybe that was too close. A different continent!? Could Fae portals do that!? _

 

“-bin!  Changbin!  Come on, dude!  Calm down!” someone yelled, and Changbin flinched, ignoring how light his head felt.   Would everyone just stop fucking  _ yelling  _ all the time?  

 

“Stop!” he yelled, throwing both hands out to shove Hyunjin away.  This drew Woojin’s attention to him, but Changbin wouldn’t bring himself to care at his desperate yell for peace.  Why should there be peace? Felix was gone, and right now, that was the only thing that mattered. Hyunjin hissed at him, tears staining his face.  Since when was Hyunjin crying? No, wait, why should it matter when Felix was forcefully ripped right from his arms and tossed into a magic portal! This prompted another slip into his brain, as if he slipped and fell into a chasm.

 

_ Fae portals allowed only Fae to pass through; humans have tried, but all cases of this happening always led to immediadent death when they came into contact with the portal.  No records had ever contained information on a human disappearing when touching one! What did that mean? That Felix and Minho just died and went poof! and they’d never find the bodies?  That Changbin would have to bury an empty casket, filled with nothing but his broken heart? _

 

“Hyung stop moving!” said Seungmin, and Changbin was forced, again, back into the present.  Jisung was squirming, trying to stand up, but Seungmin’s tight hold kept him from rising up and doing god knows what.  Woojin gently shuffled over, unwilling to let go of Jeongin but also wanting to help with Jisung.

 

Changbin felt sick.  

 

Felix was gone.  And so was Minho.

 

Minho, who was nothing but a kind (albeit sassy) soul, with all the love in the world.  Felix, the boy who had stars on his cheeks and galaxies in his eyes, whom he had come to fall in love with.  Not only had he lost his boyfriend- he lost two bestfriends too. No bodies to mourn, no proof of the inevitable deaths; just a dead tree and seven friends.  _Nine entered the forest, but only seven remained_ , and Changbin coughed as his throat burned. Tears drenched his face, dripping down his chin and neck, coming to soak into his collar.

 

Changbin’s eyes drifted around the clearing, horror mixed with terror, taking in the sight.  Chan, who lost two younger brothers. Woojin, who lost his dongsaengs. Hyunjin, who lost two friends, and Jisung- who lost his boyfriend and his twin, a best friend but more.  Seungmin and Jeongin, both who lost older siblings.  

 

And himself.

 

Changbin closed his eyes and wept.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! It has been a hot minute, hasn't it? Well anyway, I hope you enjoy Changbin's suffering! Don't worry too much, he'll be okay. The plan is to alternate between Felix and Changbin every chapter, so you can really see the journey on both sides- how they overcome obstacles while trying to find each other again.
> 
> Contact and chat with me here!
> 
> Tumblr - @fortheloveofwoozi  
> Twitter - @lixified (I post spoilers and I have visuals for this fic!)


	7. Six - The drums that starve off night and day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Minho find magic mushrooms

“Well, this is the best idea we’ve got, so we’re sticking with it!” Felix hissed, ignoring Minho’s constant whining.   _ Yes, my legs hurt too _ , he wants to scream, but that would not benefit either of them.  It had probably been two hours since they had started walking alongside the river, following its twisting path through the forest.  

 

Truthfully, Felix was about ready to give up.  That was one of the rules taught in the Academy, was to find a source of running water if they ever got lost.  Most civilizations were built on or near sources of water, and running water especially. But Felix was never taught what to do when lost in an alternate dimension.  

 

Felix paused, realizing that he couldn’t hear Minho’s footsteps behind him anymore.  He turned around, concerned, and was met with the older’s sad expression.

 

“What is it, hyung?”

 

Minho sighed.  

 

“What if no one’s there, Felix?  The Fae haven’t been seen in what, twenty years?  Who says they’re even still around?” Minho said, gesturing around helplessly.  Felix bit his lip, pondering his hyung’s words.  

 

Maybe they really had died off, all those years ago.  But that would mean that Felix and Minho were trapped in a different realm, with no way of getting home, dressed only in loose-fitting pants, with weird new appendages and god only knows what else.  Not to mention the sun was setting, which meant colder temperatures and wild creatures emerging from the shadows.

 

That was a scary thought that Felix did not want to deal with.

 

He walked back to Minho, gently taking one of his hands.  “Hyung…” he trailed off, unsure of what to say. That he doesn’t want to think about the consequences of them being there?  Of the extensive amount of  _ what ifs _ that followed them?

 

Felix looked into Minho’s silver eyes, surrounded by tiny specks of glitter, and promptly ignored the unease he felt.  

 

“We can’t afford to think like that right now.  Our best chance is to continue to follow the river and hope of finding someone.  Let’s, uh…” he muttered, floundering for a second, “focus on the positives!”

 

Felix internally winced as soon as the words left his lips.  What were the positives right now? They had no clothes, no food, no family and no way home.  

 

Well then.

 

Minho giggled, and Felix knew his emotions must have been written clearly on his face.  

 

“That’s not really working for you, is it?” Minho teased, a small smile partly hiding the sad look in his eyes.  Felix couldn’t help but laugh a little too. It really wasn’t working for him. But he wouldn’t let Minho know that.

 

“No, it is!  Look, we have these cool-looking wings now!  That's a positive!” He said, twirling around to prove his point.  He got kind of dizzy though, most likely from the lack of food. It was, after all, way after dinner time.  Stumbling forward, he rightened himself just in time to be caught by Minho without taking them both down.

 

“Sorry,” he mumbled.  Minho’s bare chest against his was odd but warm, and the cool breeze that came along with the setting sun was certainly beginning to have an effect on his goosebump-covered body.

 

“Woah there,” Minho said, gently gathering Felix more comfortably in his arms, “you okay?” He sounded concerned.  Felix cursed himself for worrying his hyung. They had bigger things to worry about right now, not a little hunger.

 

“I’m fine, just a little tired.  Nothing serious.” He spoke, feeling Minho’s hands dip to hold him right beneath where his wings connected to his back.  It was a weird sensation. The thing was, Minho’s wings had a much larger base- so Felix just settled with awkwardly curling his arms up, holding the very backs of Minho’s shoulders, hooking his fingers over the tops of his arms.  It was… interesting, to say the least.  The long ferns attached to Minho’s head kept getting caught under his fingers, and Minho hissed in pain when Felix accidently pulled one.  

 

“Sorry.”

 

Minho gently pulled one of his flowers in response, a playful sort of thing that had Felix relaxing at the familiar rhythm.  This territory, he knew; the sense of brotherhood that connected them.

 

“I love you, hyung.” He mumbled.

 

Minho tightened his grip slightly.

 

“I love you too, Lixie.”

 

They parted after a second, but still kept within arms distance.  The warmth from each other was the only thing combating the chill of the oncoming darkness.

 

“Why don’t we settle in for the night, okay?  We can start searching again in the morning. Right now, we need sleep and a fire and maybe some food, if we can find it.  But we’ll never survive the night like this.” Minho said. Felix nodded in agreement.  

 

No human had ever been to the Fae’s realm before, which meant they got little documentation about it.  It was a place of magic; there could be hundreds of dangerous magical creatures who lived inside the forests Felix was currently occupying.  It was slightly terrifying, and Felix was not looking forward to staying the night.

 

“We’ll have to take shifts.” Felix sighed, looking around with the little sunlight they had left, observing the surroundings.  The greenery was dense, with trees and fungi and all sorts of plants covering every inch of land in sight. Except for the river, there was no clearing in sight.  

 

At this point, Felix was starting to panic slightly.

 

“Hyung, the only place for a fire is near the river- but what if something comes out and attacks us?  Like a magical alligator or something?” He hissed, startling his own self when his wings flared in response.  The movement of muscles under his skin distracted him, and he accidentally smacked Minho in the face with his right wing before he could get them back under control.  

 

Minho reeled back in surprise, wings flapping to keep him upright, but only succeeded in unbalancing him more.  One step and he fell back on his butt, holding his cheek tenderly.  Felix busted out laughing, paranoia forgotten if only for a moment. 

 

Minho pouted at Felix.

 

And that only made Felix laugh harder, verging on hysterical now.  Tears pricked his eyes and his shoulders shook with the force of his laughter, bare feet beginning to slip in the damp grass.  Pretty soon, he would end up right next to Minho on the ground.  Felix forced himself to take deep breaths, wiping the moisture from his eyes, careful not to accidentally poke himself with the moon attached to his crown.  Minho had smothered some giggles too, watching his fellow hunter lose it over a him falling. Oh, to have the simple relief of laughter was exhilarating to Felix.  

 

“Alright, alright, it wasn’t that funny!” Minho laughed, unable to help it.  Felix smiled at him, his first real smile since they arrived, and boy did it feel good.

 

“My bad, hyung.  Haven’t exactly got the best control over these things yet.”  said Felix, holding a hand out to help him up. Minho accepted and Felix tugged him to his feet.

 

That’s when Felix saw it.

 

The soft glow coming from the tree right behind Minho.  From his gasp, Minho whipped around to try and see what caused such a reaction.  He inhaled sharply.

 

The sun had set, and the dark forest was not as dark as it should have been.  Mushrooms crept up the tree trunk, pure white and  _ glowing _ .  Neither Felix nor Minho had ever seen such a beautiful thing, the soft glow making the dark much less frightening.  Even better, as Felix watched the last bits of sunlight flee from the forest, more mushrooms started to emit light, filling the forest with a soft glow.

 

It rendered both of them absolutely speechless.  

 

Felix pushed past Minho, walking as if in a trance, and approached the mushrooms.  The closer he got, the better he could see just how magical it really was- the glow emitted from right where the cap met the stem, and Felix’s breath caught in his throat.

 

There was no heat when he touched the hood of the mushroom, only light, and yet a warmth filled Felix, filling through his arms and steadily flowing down to his legs, and then out into his wings. It was ecstasy, the sensation of magic flowing through his veins, and Felix started crying.

 

It felt similar to loving Changbin.

 

His feet left the ground.  His wings carried him up, hovering above the ground, and it felt like stretching his legs after a long wagon ride, as if pent-up energy could finally leave him.  The tears that slid down his cheeks landed on his chest, and goosebumps from the feeling stained his skin. Looking down, Felix could see every freckle on his body was glowing softly too; the magic had awoken something beneath his skin.

 

His lover entered his mind again, the way he would drag his hands down Felix’s chest, over each and every freckle, kissing them softly.  The heat in his body reminded him of how Changbin would hold him tight, strong arms guiding Felix closer to his beating heart, skin-to-skin and hearts thumping in sync.  The way his eyes would drag up and down Felix’s body, taking him in and pinning him there, right where he belonged, safely in Changbin’s embrace.

 

_ I love you! _

 

His last words to Changbin replayed themselves in his mind, and Felix flew higher, edging closer to the branches.  Felix knew what was happening- the warmth from the magic was bringing every emotion to the surface, most which were about Changbin, and the knot in his throat only grew tighter, tears sliding faster.  Changbin, his love,  _ Changbin _ , the boy who could never do Felix wrong- and then his wings faltered for a moment and Felix lurched, but stayed upright.  

 

Minho was calling his name.

 

“ _ Felix _ !” the boy yelled, and Felix glanced down to see his terrified expression.  Although the heat was stated to ebb away, he still felt whole, as if something he hadn’t known was missing had been filled.  His wings buzzed energetically, but obeyed his wishes of lowering him to the ground.

 

He landed with such a grace it felt like muscle memory.  

 

“Felix- what was that!?” Minho yelled.  In the faint light, Minho’s eyes glinted with something feral, like the wild inside was finally matching to his surroundings.

 

Felix grinned, unaware of the tiny fangs piercing his bottom lip, and took Minho’s hand.  His body was alight with energy that was otherworldly- it encouraged him, willing him to bend to its pull.

 

Felix pressed Minho’s hand against the magic and watched it take over.

 

Surprisingly, it look slightly longer for Minho to come down than it did Felix, but he supposed that Minho had interrupted his awakening, so it didn’t matter.

 

That’s what Felix nicknamed it- the awakening.  It made sense. Coming in contact with magic for the first time had done something incredible to Felix, shifting things too far beneath his skin to see.  His dragonfly wings felt strong and less like new appendages; he wasn’t in complete control yet, but he held a little more power than he did before. His tongue gently ran over his sharp canine teeth, having grown out fully when he touched the mushroom.  His antlers were sharper, and now the gold glow under his skin was less obvious, but still present.

 

Minho fluttered down to stand next to him, and an understanding was shared.

 

“I’m pretty sure something incredible just happened.” Minho muttered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.  Unlike Felix, Minho’s body did not glow. But his now-larger fangs had nicked his bottom lip, much like Felix’s own, and Minho wiped the blood off with his tear-soaked hand.

 

Felix nodded, humming under his breath.  

 

“I think the mushrooms are drugged.” Minho said jokingly, flapping his wings.  Felix laughed softly, shaking his head in amusement, and grabbed Minho's hand.  The two turned to face each other.

 

"Did you feel Jisung in that?" Felix asked curiously.  Minho nodded, smiling, and simply asked, "Changbin?"

 

Felix nodded.  "We can figure out what that means tomorrow.  I'm tired."  

 

Minho laughed, and gently leaned forward to knock his forehead against Felix's.  The two stayed there for a moment, fingers interlocked and breath shared.

 

"I think we'll be okay, at least for tonight." Minho told him, and Felix breathed a sigh of relief.  

 

They'd be okay, if only for tonight.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! I wrote this all in one sitting (whew) but there you go! 
> 
> Chat with me here - Twitter @lixified   
>  Tumblr @fortheloveofwoozi


End file.
